Studies Link Systemic Inflammation to Worsening Multiple Sclerosis

New research from the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton finds that inflammation outside of the brain leads to the progression of multiple sclerosis. They found that common illnesses (ex: flu and urinary tract infections) are linked to loss of nerve cells in the spinal cord. In their study titled Systemic inflammation associates with and precedes cord atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis, they tracked 50 people living with multiple sclerosis for 2.5 years. Participants collected weekly urine samples and the researchers took MRIs at the beginning and end of the study. The ratio of specific compounds in the urine hold signs of systemic inflammation and MRIs can reveal changes in spinal cord and brain atrophy. 

In a subsequent study titled Mild Systemic Inflammation Increases Erythrocyte Fragility the researchers found that mild systemic inflammation can contribute to the destruction of red blood cells. Red blood cells contain large amounts of the iron-containing protein hemoglobin, which is toxic when unbound by blood cells. While the body has mechanisms to neutralize hemoglobin toxicity, it’s possible for these systems to become overwhelmed. Unbound hemoglobin is pro-inflammatory and has been linked to brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis.

Citations:

Stuart, C. M., et al. (2024). Systemic inflammation associates with and precedes cord atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis. Brain communications, 6(3), fcae143. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcae143

Stuart, C. M., et al. (2024). Mild Systemic Inflammation Increases Erythrocyte Fragility. International journal of molecular sciences, 25(13), 7027. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25137027